The earliest subgenres of Latin music is the corrido, a subgenre originating from popular music or Latin pop; a subclass of Latin music. Corrido music had its beginnings in Iberian folk in medieval Europe. The genre shared similarities to medieval cancioneros, through the European colonization of the Americas in the 15th century and the slave trade that followed, the lyrics were romanticized with heroic figures as the song's protagonist. Although the term "Latin music" varies between sources, the general consensus is that of genres originating in Latin America, the United States, and Iberian Peninsula, or music in Spanish. Although subgenres changes classification over time and various genres are clustered in subclasses of larger scopes, this timeline does not include regionalized identities of Latin music (e.g., "Dominican merengue", "Chilean folk", and "Puerto Rican salsa" for an example) are excluded in this list as they share or are under the same umbrella of their respective genres with slightly varying differences. Latin music is vastly large and it is impossible to include every subgenre on any list. Latin music shares a mixture of Indengious and European cultures, and in the 1550s included African influence. In the late 1700s, popular European dances and music, such as contradanzas and danzones, were introduced to Latin music. Through the 1800s, former colonies of Spain achieved independence and began performing narrative songs that were of national and local interest. The polka and accordion were introduced to Latin music in the 1860s, while Rosendo Mendizábal's "El Enterriano" (1897) became the first tango recording.
| Genre | Subclass | Genre originated | Date of origin | Locale of origin | Notable artists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merengue | Tropical music | Uncertain. It has been theorized to have originated from Hatain mereng, and an Afro-Cuban dance called the upa. | The genre possibly originated in the mid-1800s, or roughly around 1844 (see Dominican War of Independence). | Uncertain, theorized from Haiti (Haitian France) and/or Africa (Bantu people of Madagascar). | Juan Luis Guerra • Elvis Crespo • Olga Tañon • Manny Manuel | |
| Salsa | Tropical music | Cuban son, New York jazz. | 1950s | New York City. | Celia Cruz • Hector Lavoe • Willie Colon • Marc Anthony | |
| Trova | Tropical music | Spanish folk music and nueva canción. | 1953 (see Cuban Revolution) | Cuba | María Teresa Vera • Silvio Rodriguez • Noel Nicola • Carlos Varela | |
| Bolero | Tropical music | Spanish folk | 18th century | Mallorca | María Teresa Vera • Silvio Rodriguez • Noel Nicola • Carlos Varela | |
| Latin pop | Latin pop | Pop music (American pop, Chicano rock), freestyle music, and traditional Latin music. | late-1950s, 1960s | United States (Miami and New York City), Latin America | Ritchie Valens • Ricky Martin • Enrique Iglesias • Shakira | |
| Bachata | Tropical music | Cuban bolero (guitar bolero), African music. | 1960s | Dominican Republic. | Luis Segura • Melida Rodriguez • Aventura • Prince Royce | |
| Banda | Regional Mexican | Early ranchera music. | Late-20th century. | Mexico. | Jenni Rivera • Julión Álvarez • Juan Gabriel • Ana Bárbara | |
| Latin jazz | Latin pop | jazz, Spanish tinge | 1910s. | United States. | Tito Puente • Machito • Antonio Carlos Jobim • Magos Herrera | |
| Tejano | Regional Mexican | Traditional Mexican (conjunto, musica nortena, corridos), American pop. | 20th century. | Texas (South Texas). | Selena • Bruno Villareal • La Mafia • Emilio Navaira | |
| Reggaeton | Latin urban | Reggae, hip-hop, Spanish Caribbean music, disco | Late-1990s. | Puerto Rico. | Daddy Yankee • Don Omar • Ivy Queen • J Balvin | |
| Mariachi | Regional Mexican | Waltz, polka, bolero | 1920 | Mexico. | Vicente Fernandez • Lola Beltran • Antonio Aguilar • Pedro Infante |